Montreal’s Grand Prix romance: It’s complicated | Montreal Gazette Photos: Montreal's F1 Canadian Grand Prix The Montreal Canadian Grand Prix is one of the favourite stops on the Formula One tour. The city's celebrated savoir faire when it comes to putting on a world-class sporting event make it a delight for F1 racers, entourage and fans alike. The first Canadian Grand Prix is held at Mosport in Bowmanville, Ont., in 1967. Le Circuit Mont Tremblant (shown) also takes turns playing host to the Canadian Grand Prix in its early years. Montreal Gazette files Due to safety concerns the Canadian Grand Prix moves to the newly constructed Circuit Île Notre-Dame in 1978. City of Montreal Archives Local hero Gilles Villeneuve waves from the podium on Île Notre Dame following his 1978 Canadian Grand Prix win. Montreal Gazette files Gilles Villeneuve is killed in a crash at the Belgium Grand Prix on May 8, 1982. His funeral is held in Berthieville Qc.

Two months later, 23-year-old Osella driver, Riccardo Paletti of Italy, dies in a crash at the start of the Canadian Grand Prix, on the newly named Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. It is also the first year that the race is held in June, instead of October. Tedd Chruch/Montreal Gazette files The 1987 Canadian Grand Prix was cancelled due to a sponsorship battle involving Labatt and Molson breweries. When the race returned in 1988, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve had undergone a makeover. The Canadian Grand Prix would be cancelled again in 2009, for financial reasons, but returns the following year. Tedd Church/Montreal Gazette files Jacques Villeneuve, son of Gilles Villeneuve, took over in his father's footsteps and in 1997 he becomes the first and only Canadian to ever win the F1 championship. Mike Cooper/Allsport Jacques Villeneuve walks back to the pit after crashing his car into the "Wall of Champions" during the qualifying of the 2002 Montreal Grand Prix.

The concrete barrier at the final turn before the stretch to the finish line earned its nickname in mock honour of those who’ve crashed into it. Other victims of the wall include Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel and Nico Rosberg. Jean Levac/Ottawa Citizen files Former Ferrari racer Michael Schumacher, of Germany, celebrates the seventh Canadian Grand Prix win of his career in 2004. “Montreal is a great city. It feels like the whole city gets involved and creates a really nice atmosphere,” he said in 2011. Dave Sidaway/Montreal Gazette files McLaren's Lewis Hamilton (C) won the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix. It was Hamilton's first F1 win and his 6th podium finish that year. It was also a podium first for both BMW's Nick Heidfeld (2nd place - L) and Williams' Alex Wurz (3rd place).

Dave Sidaway/Montreal Gazette files Mercedes Formula One driver Nico Rosberg, of Germany, says of Montreal: "It’s a beautiful but also crazy city where there is always a lot happening, particularly in the evenings.” Dario Ayala/Montreal Gazette files Red Bull Racing Formula One driver Sebastian Vettel drives past the red flag as he approaches turn 10 as he competes in the 2011 Canadian Grand Prix. Due to torrential rains the race is temporarily stopped midway and ends up being the longest and most chaotic F1 race of all time. Dario Ayala/Montreal Gazette files Photographers line up to shoot the finishing ceremony at the end of the 2012 Formula One Canadian Grand Prix. By 2015, close to 400 media members from 21 countries were accredited to cover the event. Dario Ayala/Montreal Gazette files Models walk off the starting grid F1 before the 2013 Formula One Canadian Grand Prix. F1 continues to leave itself open to criticism for employing curvy “grid girls” — paid models — to do little more than stand there and look pretty.

Dario Ayala/Montreal Gazette files Fans look up at a jet doing a flyby at the start of the 2014 Canadian Grand Prix. Of all the races on the Grand Prix circuit, Montreal’s is among the most-watched, helped in large part by the early-afternoon start — prime time in Europe, where the fan base remains strongest. Dario Ayala/Montreal Gazette files At the same time, as a black driver, Hamilton has helped break down barriers in the largely white, male world of top-tier racing, bringing wider exposure to more audiences. So has Indian-born Monisha Kaltenborn, the first woman to run an F1 team, Swiss-based Sauber. “The support is incredible,” Hamilton said after his win here last year, surveying the crowd. “Lots of British flags, people from out here in Canada … Grenadian flags, Barbados flags.” Personalities aside, there is enthusiasm, too, for the show itself. A common criticism about F1 is that races are too often processional, led by the same top drivers in the same best cars. But Montreal is known for having delivered more than its fair share of drama over the years.

That goes back to the very beginning, in 1978, when, in a fairy-tale script, Gilles Villeneuve won the inaugural event at the circuit that would eventually carry his name. To boot, it was his first career win — in a Ferrari, no less. Hamilton, too, scored his maiden win here, in 2007, putting Montreal in the history books as the place where the first black driver won an F1 race. It’s also where the longest-ever Grand Prix was held, in 2011, clocking in at more than four hours after being suspended midway because of torrential rain. Afterward, drivers marvelled that much of the soggy crowd had chosen to sit through the entire thing. That race is still considered among the most chaotic of all time, as drivers struggled to keep their cars pointed in the right direction on the drenched pavement, and Britain’s Jenson Button — in last place before the restart — skillfully picked through the pack to score an unlikely victory. “This wasn’t just a Grand Prix,” a senior Mercedes official said at the time.

“It was like an action movie.” The track is often cited as a favourite among drivers, who enjoy the challenges posed by its singular design. Super-slow bends give way to high-speed straights where cars hit 330 km/h, and the proximity of concrete barriers and shortage of runoff areas leave little room for error. Not unlike Montreal’s public roads, however, trying to overcome the obstacles can end in frustration. “You’ve obviously got a culture of shit roads out here,” – former F1 driver David Coulthard In 2008, the track surface began to crumble from stress and neglect soon after the cars hit the track. By the end of the weekend, it looked like the Turcot Interchange after a spring thaw, prompting Brazil’s Felipe Massa to threaten never to return. “You’ve obviously got a culture of shit roads out here,” commented Scotland’s David Coulthard, expressing what every road-weary Montrealer already knows. Then there is the so-called Wall of Champions, at the final turn before the stretch to the finish line. That concrete barrier earned its nickname in mock honour of those who’ve crashed into it, including Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve — twice.

To add insult to injury and scattered car parts, the wall also became known for the the slogan it used to carry: Bienvenue au Québec. In every other way, though, the welcome is warm and generous — and appreciated. Drivers, teams and the rest of F1’s travelling entourage, which numbers 1,000 or more, are sincere when they say they love coming to Montreal, and they say it a lot. It’s the one weekend of the year Montreal gets to “act like a New York, like a Paris, like a London.” One big reason is the proximity of the circuit to downtown, allowing them to stay in the city and soak up the party atmosphere. At venues where tracks are farther afield, drivers feel cut off from the vibe — if it even exists.

Germany’s Nico Rosberg, the current points leader who drives for Mercedes, has said he counts Montreal among his favourite F1 stops, and summed up its essence nicely: “It’s a beautiful but also crazy city where there is always a lot happening, particularly in the evenings.” F1 fans gather for the finishing ceremony at the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal on June 9, 2013, Dario Ayala / Montreal Gazette Files Or, as one St-Laurent Blvd. restaurateur put it, it’s the one weekend of the year Montreal gets to “act like a New York, like a Paris, like a London.” That means high-end restaurants get to stock up on caviar and truffles, pricey wine and more even more pricey Champagne, to satisfy the wants of F1’s travelling glamour crowd and the expense accounts of executives trying to woo clients. It means downtown hotels fill up to more than 90 per cent occupancy, with average nightly rates jumping from roughly $170 to $375. It means extra bookings as visitors — about half from outside Quebec — extend their weekend visit into a full vacation, while conventions jostle to schedule activities around the Grand Prix.

Peel Street turns into a luxury-car showroom every year, and fans are only too happy to be in close proximity to them. In 2011, Marie-Andrée Martin posed for her partner Pierre Guillet next to a Lamborghini. The couple came in from Bromont. John Mahoney / Montreal Gazette Files It means 500,000 attendance at the Crescent St. festival alone — good luck trying to squeeze through — and 300,000 pushes of the turnstiles at the race track. It means, if you believe government figures, a financial windfall of up to $90 million for the local economy. Sure, outlandish displays of out-there excess can be grating, but the large infusion of euros and greenbacks certainly is not. It also means, for Montrealers who like car racing and even for those who do not, an opportunity to feel good about a city that has lost much of its lustre over the years. No other local event draws the same kind of attention. Grand Prix racing is one of the highest-viewed sporting spectacles, up there with the Olympics and World Cup soccer.

The Montreal International Jazz Festival attracts large crowds, but not a global spotlight on the scale of F1, whose races are broadcast in more than 150 countries. Total viewership in 2014 was reported at 425 million. Of all the races on the Grand Prix circuit, Montreal’s is among the most-watched, helped in large part by the early-afternoon start — prime time in Europe, where the fan base remains strongest. Last year, close to 400 media members from 21 countries were accredited to cover the event. Granted, the installations at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve can’t compete with Monaco’s shimmering glitz, Singapore’s high-tech gloss or Bahrain’s exotic desert setting, where the sand is glued down to prevent it from blowing onto the track. Still, it’s hard not to be impressed by the stunning overhead images of Circuit Gilles Villeneuve amid the lush greenery of Île Notre Dame, whether you’re a TV viewer in another country or a Montrealer watching at home or with the bar crowds. Montrealers are justifiably proud, too, of their celebrated savoir faire when it comes to putting on a world-class sporting event that draws high praise and large crowds year after year.

So what’s the problem? *** Topless protesters crashed a party at the Arsenal that kicked off the Grand Prix weekend two years ago. They were highlighting the issue of sex slavery. The Grand Prix has been linked to prostitution and child exploitation. Dario Ayala / Montreal Gazette Files “It’s starting to feel icky,” is how one F1 fan put it. Or maybe former fan. The Montrealer admitted he hasn’t watched any races this season, and wasn’t even sure which team his favourite driver — Fernando Alonso of Spain — is with these days. (Answer: McLaren-Honda. Alonso is a two-time champion who has won once in Montreal, in 2006, and has thus far managed to avoid intimate contact with the infamous Wall.) Truth is, the ick factor is not entirely new, and has been quietly growing. There has always been a measure of indifference toward the Grand Prix among some Montrealers, and downright hostility, too. Just ask South Shore residents who’ve had to put up with the noise of screaming engines from the track. There are those who can do without the added congestion on roads and bridges that is already intolerable during roadwork season. Or the downtown hordes crowding streets and sidewalks.

For some, Grand Prix weekend is their cue to head for the cottage. There are serious concerns about prostitution and child exploitation. A recent study cites Montreal as a destination for sex tourism, and refers to increased prostitution, some of it involving minors, around the Grand Prix. F1 has left itself open to criticism for employing curvy “grid girls” to do little more than stand there and look pretty, as they did last year. JEWEL SAMAD / AFP/Getty Images While pro soccer scores points by inviting children to accompany players onto the field, F1 continues to leave itself open to criticism for employing curvy “grid girls” — paid models — to do little more than stand there and look pretty. There are concerns, too, about human-rights abuses in some of the countries F1 goes racing, like Russia and China, as the series continues to expand to markets outside its traditional European base. At the same time, heightened awareness about environmental issues has put into question the continued relevance of traditional motor sport, especially with the emergence of alternatives like Formula E, a globe-trotting series featuring all-electric cars that look like those in F1.

Mayor Denis Coderre is keen to bring an ePrix to Montreal, and the city has been penciled in on a provisional calendar for July 2017 between stops in Berlin and New York. The race could be held at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, though Formula E prefers to race in city centres to highlight the urban appeal of electric vehicles. Formula E is now in its second season, and not only has it converted some fans of F1, it has attracted some of its former drivers — including Villeneuve for a short spell. To be fair, F1 has veered into greener territory in recent years. The cars now use hybrid power units comprised of gasoline engines and electric motors. Heat energy from the exhaust and brakes that would normally go to waste is converted into electricity by sophisticated onboard systems. Any conversation about sustainability, proponents say, must take into account how such innovations might transfer from the race track to the driveway, or even into space. F1 serves as a laboratory of sorts for the development of more efficient aerodynamics and lighter materials for parts and bodywork. F1’s influence can turn up in the most unexpected places.

One British hospital looked at how pit stop techniques might apply to time-pressed procedures used in the resuscitation of newborn babies. The best pit crews can change all four wheels on a car in 2.5 seconds or less. The dilemma for F1 is that, in trying to answer to its critics, it risks alienating the purists for whom the smell of exhaust is perfume, and the noise of engines opera. When F1 switched to hybrid engines in 2014, organizers of the Australian Grand Prix threatened legal action, arguing noise is an integral part of the spectacle, and the quieter power units short-changed spectators. Sure enough, the formula in Formula One — the rules and technical specifications — is set to change again in 2017, with the return of faster, noisier cars that will consume more fuel than what is allowed under current regulations. No doubt, this will do nothing to endear F1 to its detractors. At least, whatever the complaints, the worthwhile economic impact of staging a Grand Prix — the money spent, taxes collected and jobs created — is clear and undisputed. Or is it? Grand Prix fans fill Crescent St. during festivities in 2011.

Allen McInnis / Files The question is worth asking, given the wide range in figures provided by various levels of government and other stakeholders. Ottawa has estimated the annual spinoffs of the Montreal event at $71 million, Quebec at $89 million. You can drive a truck through that gap, or several sleek racing cars. An updated study with more precise data has been promised, but not yet delivered, or at least made public. A 2011 audit by Ernst & Young came up with estimated spinoffs of between $32 million and $39 million from the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, a city not unlike Montreal. Any of these amounts would seem to justify the current contract with F1 management and its CEO, Bernie Ecclestone, which secures the Canadian Grand Prix through 2024 at an average annual cost of $18.7 million. The bill is shared by the federal and provincial governments, plus the City of Montreal and its tourism bureau. That’s considered a bargain. Average hosting fees have been estimated at $33 million.

Canada gets a break because of its long-term relationship with F1, which goes back to 1967, with races held at Mosport Park in Bowmanville, Ont., and Mont-Tremblant before moving to Île Notre Dame. Fans look on whilst Fernando Alonso of Spain and Ferrari drives during final practice ahead of the Canadian Formula One Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 7, 2014. Mathias Kniepeiss / Getty Images Still, there are other costs. Under the contract, Montreal is committed to spending $32 million in track upgrades by 2017. Local promoter François Dumontier, head of Octane Racing Group, has said he wants a signature building put up to give the circuit a new identity. In December, six months after the last Grand Prix, Dumontier revealed to La Presse he was running a deficit, and some suppliers had not yet been paid. He said he was searching for new investors in his company and a title sponsor for the race. As yet, no progress has been reported on either front.

The apparent difficulties are a reminder of previous problems that temporarily bumped Montreal off the F1 calendar — most recently in 2009, when Ecclestone demanded more cash and upgraded facilities. In the end, a settlement was reached, and the race returned the following year. And they come at a time when F1 more generally seems to be stuck in neutral, if not reverse. TV audiences, while still impressive, have been falling. Some venues and teams are struggling to pay bills or retain sponsorships. Dumontier insists the Montreal race is safe for the foreseeable future, and there is no reason to believe otherwise. Ticket sales for this year’s edition, he said, are outpacing those of last year. “We had to add grandstands,” he told the Montreal Gazette. Despite everything, the love affair, it seems, still burns. *** “The city grinds to a halt over the race weekend as fans from around the world descend on Quebec for a non-stop party,” says the F1 destination guide, and it’s not wrong. However, it could have added: For better or for worse.

Photos: Montreal’s F1 Canadian Grand Prix | Montreal Gazette 5 / 5 Photos: Montreal's F1 Canadian Grand Prix The first Canadian Grand Prix is held at Mosport in Bowmanville, Ont., in 1967. Le Circuit Mont Tremblant (shown) also takes turns playing host to the Canadian Grand Prix in its early years. Montreal Gazette files Due to safety concerns the Canadian Grand Prix moves to the newly constructed Circuit Île Notre-Dame in 1978. City of Montreal Archives Local hero Gilles Villeneuve waves from the podium on Île Notre Dame following his 1978 Canadian Grand Prix win. Montreal Gazette files Gilles Villeneuve is killed in a crash at the Belgium Grand Prix on May 8, 1982. His funeral is held in Berthieville Qc. Two months later, 23-year-old Osella driver, Riccardo Paletti of Italy, dies in a crash at the start of the Canadian Grand Prix, on the newly named Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. It is also the first year that the race is held in June, instead of October.

Tedd Chruch/Montreal Gazette files The 1987 Canadian Grand Prix was cancelled due to a sponsorship battle involving Labatt and Molson breweries. When the race returned in 1988, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve had undergone a makeover. The Canadian Grand Prix would be cancelled again in 2009, for financial reasons, but returns the following year. Tedd Church/Montreal Gazette files Jacques Villeneuve, son of Gilles Villeneuve, took over in his father's footsteps and in 1997 he becomes the first and only Canadian to ever win the F1 championship. Mike Cooper/Allsport Jacques Villeneuve walks back to the pit after crashing his car into the "Wall of Champions" during the qualifying of the 2002 Montreal Grand Prix. The concrete barrier at the final turn before the stretch to the finish line earned its nickname in mock honour of those who’ve crashed into it. Other victims of the wall include Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel and Nico Rosberg. Jean Levac/Ottawa Citizen files Former Ferrari racer Michael Schumacher, of Germany, celebrates the seventh Canadian Grand Prix win of his career in 2004.

“Montreal is a great city. It feels like the whole city gets involved and creates a really nice atmosphere,” he said in 2011. Dave Sidaway/Montreal Gazette files McLaren's Lewis Hamilton (C) won the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix. It was Hamilton's first F1 win and his 6th podium finish that year. It was also a podium first for both BMW's Nick Heidfeld (2nd place - L) and Williams' Alex Wurz (3rd place). Dave Sidaway/Montreal Gazette files Mercedes Formula One driver Nico Rosberg, of Germany, says of Montreal: "It’s a beautiful but also crazy city where there is always a lot happening, particularly in the evenings.” Dario Ayala/Montreal Gazette files Red Bull Racing Formula One driver Sebastian Vettel drives past the red flag as he approaches turn 10 as he competes in the 2011 Canadian Grand Prix. Due to torrential rains the race is temporarily stopped midway and ends up being the longest and most chaotic F1 race of all time.

Dario Ayala/Montreal Gazette files Photographers line up to shoot the finishing ceremony at the end of the 2012 Formula One Canadian Grand Prix. By 2015, close to 400 media members from 21 countries were accredited to cover the event. Dario Ayala/Montreal Gazette files Models walk off the starting grid F1 before the 2013 Formula One Canadian Grand Prix. F1 continues to leave itself open to criticism for employing curvy “grid girls” — paid models — to do little more than stand there and look pretty. Dario Ayala/Montreal Gazette files Fans look up at a jet doing a flyby at the start of the 2014 Canadian Grand Prix. Of all the races on the Grand Prix circuit, Montreal’s is among the most-watched, helped in large part by the early-afternoon start — prime time in Europe, where the fan base remains strongest.

Dario Ayala/Montreal Gazette files Gilles Villeneuve | The F1 History Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia 1982 Belgian Grand Prix Joseph Gilles Henri Villeneuve, better known as Gilles Villeneuve (January 18, 1950 – May 8, 1982), was a Canadian racing driver. He was offered a drive in Formula One with the McLaren team at the 1977 British Grand Prix . He was taken on by reigning world champions Ferrari for the end of the season and from 1978 to his death in 1982 drove for the Italian team. He won six Grand Prix races in a short career at the highest level. In 1979, he finished second by four points in the championship to team-mate Jody Scheckter . Villeneuve died in a 140 mph (225 km/h) crash caused by a collision with the March of Jochen Mass during qualifying for the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder.

His son, Jacques Villeneuve , became Formula One world champion in 1997 and, to date, the only Canadian to win the Formula One World Championship. Contents Edit Villeneuve was born in Richelieu, a small town just outside Montreal, in the largely French-speaking province of Quebec in Canada and grew up in Berthierville. Villeneuve began his racing career in snowmobile racing before moving to the regional 1973 Formula Ford championship in Quebec. He ran his own two-year-old car and won seven of the ten races he entered winning the overall championship. In 1974 Villeneuve won the international snowmobile championship and then moved up to Formula Atlantic which he competed in for four years. He won his first race in 1975 at Gimli Motosport Park in heavy rain. The following year he dominated the season, winning all but one of the races and taking both the US and Canadian titles. He followed this up by winning the Canadian title again in 1977. During a non-championship Formula Atlantic race at Trois-Rivières in 1976 Villeneuve beat several Grand Prix stars inclduing McLaren driver James Hunt .

After being impressed by Villeneuve, Hunt's McLaren team offered him a Formula One deal for up to five races in a third car during the 1977 season . Villeneuve competing in Formula Atlantic during 1976 Edit Villeneuve made his Formula One debut at the 1977 British Grand Prix , where he qualified 9th in McLaren's old M23 , splitting the regular drivers Hunt and Jochen Mass who were driving newer M26s . In the race he set fifth fastest lap and finished 11th after being delayed for two laps by a faulty temperature gauge. Despite this, shortly after the race McLaren's experienced team manager Teddy Mayer decided not to continue with Villeneuve for the following year. His explanation was that Villeneuve "was looking as though he might be a bit expensive" and that Patrick Tambay , the team's eventual choice for 1978, was showing similar promise. Villeneuve was left with no solid options for 1978, although Canadian Walter Wolf , considered giving him a drive at Wolf Racing and also recommended him to the Ferrari team's founder, Enzo Ferrari .

In August 1977 he flew to Italy to meet Ferrari, who was immediately reminded of the pre-war European champion Tazio Nuvolari : "When they presented me with this 'piccolo canadese', this minuscule bundle of nerves, I immediately recognised in him the physique of Nuvolari and said to myself, let's give him a try." Villeneuve signed to drive for Ferrari for the last two races of the 1977 season and the 1978 season. Villeneuve later remarked that: "If someone said to me that you can have three wishes, my first would have been to get into racing, my second to be in Formula 1, my third to drive for Ferrari..." Villeneuve's arrival was one factor that prompted Ferrari driver Niki Lauda to quit the team at the 1977 Canadian Grand Prix having already clinched his second championship with the Italian team. Villeneuve retired from the race after sliding off the track on another competitor's oil. He also raced in the Japanese Grand Prix , but retired on lap five when he tried to outbrake the Tyrrell P34 of Ronnie Peterson .

The pair banged wheels causing Villeneuve's Ferrari to became airborne. It landed on a group of spectators watching the race from a prohibited area, killing one spectator and a race marshal and injuring ten people. After an investigation into the incident no blame was apportioned and, although he was "terribly sad" at the deaths, Villeneuve did not feel responsible for them. Villeneuve makes his F1 debut at the 1977 British GP Villeneuve airborne after trying to outbrake Ronnie Peterson at the 1977 Japanese GP Edit The 1978 season saw a succession of retirements for Villeneuve, often caused by problems with the new Michelin radial tyres. Early in the season, he started on the front row at the United States Grand Prix West , but he crashed out of the lead on lap 39. He finishes a then career best fourth at the Belgian Grand Prix followed by three non-points finishes. Despite calls in the Italian press for him to be replaced, Ferrari persisted with him. Towards the end of the season, Villeneuve's results began to improve. At Austria he took his first ever podium.

He finished second at the Italian Grand Prix , however he was penalised a minute for jumping the start, ending up seventh. Villeneuve ran second at the United States Grand Prix before his engine failed. Finally at the season-ending Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Île Notre-Dame Villeneuve scored his first Grand Prix win after Jean-Pierre Jarier 's Lotus stopped with engine trouble. As of 2016, he is the only Canadian to win his home race. Villeneuve celebrates his maiden win at the 1978 Canadian GP Edit Villeneuve was joined by South African Jody Scheckter for 1979 after Carlos Reutemann moved to Lotus . He started the year well, winning rounds three and four . This was followed by two non-points finishes and a retiremnt at Monaco. The following race, the 1979 French Grand Prix , is remembered for Villeneuve's wheel-banging duel with René Arnoux in the last laps of the race. Arnoux passed Villeneuve for second place with three laps to go, but Villeneuve re-passed him on the next lap.

On the final lap Arnoux attempted to pass Villeneuve again, and the pair ran side-by-side through the first few corners of the lap, making contact several times. Arnoux took the position but Villeneuve attempted an outside pass one corner later. The cars bumped hard, Villeneuve slid wide but then passed Arnoux on the inside at a hairpin turn and held him off for the last half of the lap to secure second place. At the Dutch Grand Prix a slow puncture collapsed Villeneuve's left rear tyre and put him off the track. He returned to the circuit and limped back to the pits on three wheels, losing the damaged wheel on the way. On his return to the pits Villeneuve insisted that the team replace the missing wheel, and had to be persuaded that the car was beyond repair. Villeneuve could have won the World Championship by beating Scheckter at the following Italian Grand Prix , but chose to follow team orders and finish behind him, ending his own championship challenge. The pair finished first and second in the championship, with Scheckter beating Villeneuve by just four points.

During the extremely wet Friday practice session for the season-ending United States Grand Prix , Villeneuve set a time variously reported to be either 9 or 11 seconds faster than any other driver. His team-mate Jody Scheckter, who was second fastest, recalled that "I scared myself rigid that day. I thought I had to be quickest. Then I saw Gilles's time and — I still don't really understand how it was possible. Eleven seconds!" Villeneuve went on to win the race ending the year on a high. Villeneuve and Arnoux duel at the 1979 French GP Villeneuve on his three wheel lap at the 1979 Dutch GP Edit For the 1981 season , Ferrari introduced their first turbo engined F1 car, the 126CK , which produced tremendous power but was let down by its poor handling. Villeneuve was partnered with Didier Pironi who replaced the retired Scheckter. Villeneuve won two races during the season, Monaco and Spain, along with a total of eigth retirements during the season. The Monaco Grand Prix was his first win since the end of the 1979 season.

At the Spanish Grand Prix Villeneuve kept five quicker cars behind him for most of the race using the superior straight-line speed of his car. After an hour and 46 minutes of racing Villeneuve led second-placed Jacques Laffite by only 0.22 seconds. Fifth-placed Elio de Angelis was only just over a second further back. At the 1981 Canadian Grand Prix Villeneuve damaged the front wing of his Ferrari and drove for most of the race in heavy rain with the wing obscuring his view ahead. There was a risk of being black flagged but eventually the wing became detached and Villeneuve drove on to finish third with the nose section of his car missing. Villeneuve ended the season with 25 points and placed 7th in the Driver's Championship. Villeneuve at the 1981 Monaco GP Edit The first few races of the 1982 season seemed promising for Villeneuve. He led in Brazil in the new 126C2 , before spinning into retirement, and finished third at the United States Grand Prix West although he was later disqualified for a technical infringement.

The Ferraris were handed an unexpected advantage at the San Marino Grand Prix as an escalation of the FISA-FOCA war saw the FOCA teams boycott the race, effectively leaving Renault as Ferrari's only serious opposition. With Renault driver Prost retiring from fourth place on lap 7 followed by his team-mate Arnoux on the 44th lap Ferrari seemed to have the win guaranteed. In order to conserve fuel and ensure the cars finished the Ferrari team ordered both drivers to slow down. Villeneuve believed that the order also meant that the drivers were to maintain position but Pironi passed Villeneuve. A few laps later Villeneuve re-passed Pironi and slowed down again, believing that Pironi was simply trying to entertain the Italian crowd. On the last lap Pironi passed and aggressively chopped across the front of Villeneuve and took the win. Villeneuve was irate as he believed that Pironi had disobeyed the order to hold position. Meanwhile Pironi claimed that he had done nothing wrong as the team had only ordered the cars to slow down, not maintain position.

Villeneuve stated after the race "I think it is well known that if I want someone to stay behind me and I am faster, then he stays behind me." Feeling betrayed and angry Villeneuve vowed never to speak to Pironi again. A comparison of the lap times of the two drivers showed that Villeneuve lapped far slower when he was in the lead, suggesting that he had indeed been trying to save fuel. Villeneuve and Pironi at battle the 1982 San Marino GP Edit On 8 May 1982, Villeneuve died after an accident during the final qualifying session for the Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder. At the time of the crash, Pironi had set a time 0.1s faster than Villeneuve for sixth place. Villeneuve was using his final set of qualifying tyres, which were probably already past their best, and many writers say that he was attempting to improve his time on his final lap. Some suggest that he was specifically aiming to beat Pironi.

However, Villeneuve's biographer Gerald Donaldson quotes Ferrari race engineer Mauro Forghieri as saying that the Canadian, although pressing on in his usual fashion, was returning to the pits when the accident occurred. If so, he would not have set a time on that lap. With eight minutes of the session left, Villeneuve came over the rise after the first chicane and caught Jochen Mass travelling much more slowly through the left-handed bend before the Terlamenbocht corner. Mass saw Villeneuve approaching at high speed and moved to the right to let him through on the racing line . At the same instant Villeneuve also moved right to pass the slower car. The Ferrari hit the back of Mass' car and was launched into the air at a speed estimated at 200–225 km/h (120–140 mph). It was airborne for more than 100 m before nosediving into the ground and disintegrating as it somersaulted along the edge of the track.

Villeneuve, still strapped to his seat, but without his helmet, was thrown a further 50 m from the wreckage into the catch fencing on the outside edge of the Terlamenbocht corner. Several drivers stopped and rushed to the scene. John Watson and Derek Warwick pulled Villeneuve, his face blue, from the catch fence. The first doctor arrived within 35 seconds to find that Villeneuve was not breathing, although his pulse continued; he was intubated and ventilated before being transferred to the circuit medical centre and then by helicopter to University St Raphael Hospital where a fatal fracture of the neck was diagnosed. Villeneuve was kept alive on life support while his wife travelled to the hospital and the doctors consulted with specialists worldwide. He died at 9:12 that evening. Villeneuve airborne after hitting Mass Villeneuve's Ferrari after his fatal accident during qualifying for the 1982 Belgian GP Edit At the time of his death, Villeneuve was extremely popular with fans and has since become an iconic figure in the history of the sport. At the funeral in Berthierville former teammate Jody Scheckter delivered a simple eulogy: "I will miss Gilles for two reasons.

First, he was the fastest driver in the history of motor racing. Second, he was the most genuine man I have ever known. But he has not gone. The memory of what he has done, what he achieved, will always be there." The racetrack on Île Notre-Dame, Montreal, host to the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix , was named Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in his honour at the Canadian Grand Prix of 1982. At the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari , the venue of the San Marino Grand Prix , a corner was named after him and a Canadian flag is painted on the third slot on the starting grid, from which he started his last race. At Zolder the corner where Villeneuve died has been turned into a chicane and named after him. Helmet design Villeneuve's helmet carried a stylised 'V' in red on either side — an effect he devised with his wife Joann. There was also a red band runnngn around the bottom of the helmet. The base colour was black.

1977-1982 design Circuit Gilles Villeneuve Circuit Gilles Villeneuve Parc Jean-Drapeau, Montréal, QC H3C 6A1 [ Map ] First Grand Prix: 1978 Circuit length: 4.361 km (2.71 miles) Race distance: 305.270 km (189.69 miles) Lap record: 1:13.622 - R Barrichello - 2004 The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a motor racing circuit which was the venue for the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix, and is the venue of NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, and, as of 2007, NASCAR Nationwide Series and Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series races. The circuit, at Parc Jean-Drapeau on Île Notre-Dame, a man-made island in the St. Lawrence River that is part of the city of Montreal, was originally named the Île Notre-Dame circuit. It was renamed in honour of Canadian Formula One driver Gilles Villeneuve, father of Jacques Villeneuve, following his death in 1982.

The venue hosted the Champ Car World Series Grand Prix of Montreal from 2002-2006. The circuit is a fast circuit, but it is also something like a street circuit. Barriers run close to the circuit and many experienced drivers have been caught out by them. A particularly famous part of the circuit is the wall on the outside of the exit of the final chicane. In 1999 the wall, which has on it the slogan Bienvenue au Québec ("Welcome to Quebec") giving it the nickname "Mur du Québec" (Quebec Wall), ended the race of three Formula One World Champions, Damon Hill, Michael Schumacher & Jacques Villeneuve along with FIA GT champion Ricardo Zonta. Since then the wall has been nicknamed "The Wall Of Champions". In recent years Jenson Button (2005) and Vitantonio Liuzzi (2007) have also fallen victim to the wall. Fernando Alonso 2005/06 F1 World Champion and Nico Rosberg have also both hit the wall at turn 5. Juan Pablo Montoya has also hit a wall on the circuit.

Grandstand 1 | Covered seats The unique "Senna" trio offers reserved seats at both ends of the track, at the Hairpin and the Senna corner, as well as seats across the track from pit lane on Saturday for qualifying. On Friday and Sunday, the latter being the day of the race itself, "Senna" trio ticket holders will enjoy two very interesting views: first, on Friday, they will see drivers going around the Hairpin from Grandstand 15, and on Sunday, they’ll follow all the race action at the Senna corner from their seats in Grandstand 12. Each day, ticket holders will be able to follow all the action around the track on our giant screens. Formula Tours is a division of Sportvac Tours inc. Holder of a Quebec permit See our divisions:

Question: The Formula One Canadian Grand Prix is held at a circuit on Île Notre- Dame in Montréal, named after which former driver?
Answer: Gilles Villeneuve